Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rizzo Combine for Quirky Gold Glove Feat

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 5: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves makes an out at first base during the Atlanta Braves Vs New York Mets regular season MLB game at Citi Field on April 05, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

When the 2018 Gold Glove winners were announced Sunday evening, Major League Baseball fans noticed one quirk. There were two National League winners for the award at first base.

Freeman’s First

Fans of the Braves have recognized Freeman as a quality defender for some time. Now in his ninth MLB season, the rest of the country has taken notice. His stretch is one of the best in baseball as Freeman has saved many errant throws over the years.

Freeman finished second in MLB with 12 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) at the position. Only Oakland’s Matt Olson(14) finished with more. Olson (11.6) and Freeman (7.8) also finished 1-2 in UZR.

Rizzo’s Second

Rizzo claimed the second Gold Glove of his career after also winning the award in 2016. He is certainly recognized as being a cornerstone member of Chicago’s infield and a dependable player at first base. Though he did not finish quite as high as Freeman in certain defensive numbers, Rizzo still posted four DRS in over 1,300 innings in 2018. His UZR of 3.3 ranked fifth in MLB at the position.

Paul is a native and current resident of Georgia. He is an avid fan and lifelong student of the game of baseball and joined the LWOS team and baseball department in the summer of 2016. In addition to covering baseball, Paul can be found covering SEC football news with Saturday Down South. You can check him out on Twitter: @HammerHarvey.